San Jose State administrative leaders say students can expect many coronavirus-related changes and protocols for the Fall 2021 semester as campus repopulates and in-person instruction resumes.
SJSU students, faculty and staff must attest and certify COVID-19 vaccination by Sept. 30, which is the CSU COVID-19 immunization deadline.
Kenneth Mashinchi, SJSU senior director of media relations, said those who remain unvaccinated or don’t complete the verification process will report for testing protocols at the SJSU Event Center.
Mashinchi said campus members who present symptoms, which include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, headache or new loss of taste or smell, must get tested at the SJSU Student Wellness Center.
Patrick Day, SJSU vice president of student affairs, said vaccination is crucial in addressing the COVID-19 Delta variant, which threatens campus return.
The Delta variant, which was first identified in India in December 2020 , is more than twice as contagious as the original COVID-19 strain first identified in Wuhan, China, according to an Aug. 6 Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) article.
This variant is transmissible through both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, albeit for a shorter time than those who are unvaccinated, according to the same CDC article.
As of Tuesday, there have been 2,438 COVID-19 cases in Santa Clara County in the past two weeks and the Delta variant is responsible for more than half, according to the Los Angeles Times Santa Clara County COVID-19 case tracking.
“This is part of the reason why we are focused particularly on campus vaccination, trying to mitigate some of the unknowns,” Day said.
Transfer student and Spanish junior Verena Martinez said while she’s excited for her first semester on campus, the Delta variant concerns her.
“We're going into flu season so I'm not too sure how that's gonna pan out,” Martinez said. “It doesn't seem like the way things are going [are] in a good direction.”
Papazian stated in a Wednesday Presidential Directive that students who’ve been exposed to or tested positive for the COVID-19 virus must stop engaging in-person and report infection in the university’s case report form.
Fully vaccinated students exposed to COVID-19 need to test within a week of exposure, Papazian said.
The Santa Clara County public health website says fully vaccinated individuals should get tested for the COVID-19 virus five days after exposure, and every three-to-five days after until the result is negative.
Papazian said unvaccinated individuals who come in close contact with someone who’s infected with the COVID-19 virus must quarantine for two weeks after exposure.
“Failure to adhere to quarantine or testing may result in interim suspension to protect the health and safety of the SJSU community,” Papazian said.
The campus community will be required to carry their tower cards as a security and sanitization protocol and it will serve as a key to enter any academic building, according to the SJSU Health Advisories website.
However, there will be a grace period when the tower card policy won’t be as strictly implemented, said Traci Ferdolage, senior associate vice president of facilities, development and operations.
“[The] first couple of weeks of the semester, we'll have a little more leniency around being able to get into buildings and move around because we know that's people getting used to rhythms and schedules and other such things,” Ferdolage said during the Aug. 12 university town hall meeting. “But after that, your tower card is your access to buildings.”
She added tower cards aren’t necessary to open the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC), Martin Luther King Jr. Library or Student Union doors.
However, the SRAC and MLK Library will require a tower card upon entry and a completed COVID-19 self-assessment via QR Codes located at the main entrances.
Day said students must wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status or they’ll be asked to leave the building.
“Further non-compliance or disruptive behavior can result in class being canceled,” Day said in a Wednesday campuswide email. “If you refuse to comply and are asked to leave or class has to be canceled, you could be subject to discipline under the Student Code of Conduct.”
Martinez said she supports the mask requirement from the university to keep her feeling safe on campus.
“I personally felt more comfortable wearing [a mask] throughout this whole time,” Martinez said. “Now, like regardless of your vaccination status, it is a requirement, but it does [put me] more at ease.”
While eating and drinking are prohibited in the SRAC and MLK Library, Ferdolage said eateries inside the Student Union will be open and indoor-dining will be available at full capacity.
Resources inside the Student Union vary in modality, such as the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center which remains online every Wednesday, according to the center’s website.
Vincent Del Casino Jr., SJSU provost and vice president of academic affairs, said during an Aug. 12 SJSU Adapt town hall meeting that 40% of classes will be in person, 15% will be in hybrid format and the rest will be online.
Mashinchi said in-person classes will be held at full capacity and many campus resources will be offered both in person and online.
These resources include academic advising, Counseling and Psychological Services, the wellness center and the education center.
Mashinchi said Peer Connections, which provides supplemental instruction, student mentoring and tutoring, will remain fully online.
“Students have shared with Peer Connections that they are really appreciating the convenience of virtual options,” Mashinchi said.
He said the Peer Connections space will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as a study hall Monday through Thursday.
Ferdolage said SJSU campus cleaning policies have changed to fit the safe return of in-person operation.
“We have revised the expectations for our day shift custodial team to ensure they are focused on cleaning and disinfecting high-touch locations as well as keeping PPE supply stations stocked,” Ferdolage said in an email. “The best way for a student to protect themselves is to be vaccinated and also to wear a mask.”
Ferdolage said the campus heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have also been updated to circulate more clean outside air inside buildings.
“[The adjusted HVAC systems] allow us to push out whatever people have breathed out of the building and bring fresh air into the building,” Ferdolage said. “That provides a safer environment given that [COVID-19] spreads through aerosols.”
She said minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV-13) filters, HVAC system filters that entrap small particles including viruses, have also been installed.
In campus buildings with limitations including poor circulation, high efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filtration machines have been deployed, Ferdolage said.
HEPA filters collect no less than about 99.97% of particles associated with COVID-19 transmission, according to a June 2 CDC article.
“While we have and will continue to work to provide students, faculty, and staff with as safe a campus community as possible, I think the first thing for everyone to consider is that safety starts with our own personal actions first,” Ferdolage said.
Radio, TV and Film junior Julius Moridis said even though he’s nervous to return to campus, he can't wait to be in a classroom again.
“I don't care if I have to go to school in a hazmat suit,” Moridis said. “As long as I can go to class in person, I will do it.”
